1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus and, more particularly, to an image communication apparatus having an image memory for storing received image data, and a recorder for recording and outputting the received image data.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional image communication apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus, since reception processing is interrupted when record paper sheets are used up, an error display is performed to interrupt an operation.
However, in an apparatus for performing automatic reception in an unmanned state during the nighttime, reception processing can no longer be performed once record paper sheets are used up.
As an apparatus for solving the above problem, a facsimile apparatus comprising an image memory is proposed. In an apparatus comprising an image memory of this type, so-called substitution reception processing for storing received image data in the image memory can be performed when record paper sheets are used up.
With the substitution reception, after the record paper sheets are used up, reception processing can be performed as long as a memory capacity allows.
As applications associated with memory substitution reception, there are known U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,967 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 024,521 (filed on Mar. 11, 1987).
However, in the conventional substitution reception method using an image memory, if an end mark of a record paper sheet is detected during reception of a certain page, the recording page is recorded on a sheet, and data is stored in the memory from the next page.
With this method, there is no problem when an original image of a standard length is processed. However, when record paper sheets are used up during recording of an elongated original, a received image may be partially omitted.
In an apparatus for switching a receive recording mode on a record paper sheet to a memory substitution reception mode, data is stored in the memory from an indefinite page. For this reason, when the received data stored in the memory is printed out on record paper sheets later, it is cumbersome to find a correspondence between the previously receive-recorded originals and newly printed-out originals. More specifically, an operator must check the correspondence between the originals printed out from the memory and the previously printed-out originals.
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above-mentioned problems, and to improve an image communication apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image communication apparatus which is free from loss of image data when a receive recording mode of image data is switched to a memory reception mode.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image communication apparatus in which, when a switching from a receive recording mode to a memory reception mode occurs during recording of image data, images of all the pages is recorded.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image communication apparatus which stores received image data in a memory and records it on a record paper sheet, and continues memory reception when a recording operation is disenabled.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image communication apparatus which executes memory reception parallel to recording of a received image, and when a recording operation is disenabled during image reception, continues memory reception so as to record an image of the entire page corresponding to a reception mode switching timing when image data stored in the memory is recorded later.
The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments.